'Our personal lives have nothing to do with cinema'

Tollywood actors Naresh Krishna and Pavitra Lokesh are getting ready for the release of their bilingual film Mallipelli in Telugu, titled Mathe Maduve in Kannada. Directed and written by MS Raju, the film is set to hit screens on May 26.

During a promotional event held in Bangalore on Wednesday Pavitra Lokesh and Naresh shared insights about the film and their personal lives. When asked if the film is based on their real-life story, Pavitra Lokesh replied, "If you watch the teaser, only the events that have happened so far are shown there. Don't draw any conclusions based on the teaser and trailer. Watch the movie, and you will understand the message we are trying to convey. Our personal lives have nothing to do with cinema; they are separate," she asserted.

Pavitra prefers not to connect her profession with personal matters and encouraged people to view her solely as an actor. She also revealed that since her entry into the film industry in 1994, she has refrained from discussing personal issues in front of the media.

Naresh, supporting Pavitra's statement, said, "In the past, gods and goddesses were polygamous, and kings used to have multiple marriages. We have accepted and embraced all of that. Even now, the Supreme Court has ruled that live-in relationships are not wrong. So, what is wrong with us? I am not single either; Pavitra and I openly admit that we are in a live-in relationship." Naresh, who spoke in Kannada, mentioned that he understands the language and shared that he was classmates with Shivarajkumar.

The film, produced by Naresh under the Vijaya Krishna Movies banner, is billed as a family entertainer. It features Jayasudha and Sarath Babu in pivotal roles. The cast also includes Vanitha Vijayakumar, Ananya Nagella, Roshan, Ravi Varma, Annapurna, Bhadram, Yukta, Praveen Yandamuri, Madhu, and others. The music for the film is composed by Suresh Bobbili and Aruldev, with the latter also handling the background score.